A soft breeze rustled the dry bushes growing between the cracks of a red, rocky terrain as a clumsy blonde tabby came bounding through while a larger, darker tom came following unenthusiastically behind.
"Bloompaw, slow down, it's not like the patrol is that far from camp," The dark red tom sighed, causing Bloompaw to pause atop an arching log, her long ears perked.
"B-But... We're gonna be late!" She whined, though it was her fault that they were late.
Her mentor looked off to the side for a moment, then jumped up onto the dusty wood beside Bloompaw. Examinging the horizon, he could see the patrol of three not that far away, moving towards the forest, which was more or less just a patch of dead trees.
"Let's race."
"Wha-?"
"You know what I said and I won't repeat myself."
"Ahahaha! I know, silly Coppersky!" She booped his nose with a paw before leaping away, her paw pads hitting the hard red terrain audibly. Coppersky followed, soon matching her pace. They crashed into the patrol instead of joining them, only one of their clan members still standing, Coppersky crashed into a brown tabby and Bloompaw crashed into a dilute tortoiseshell. The she-cat was none other than the deputy, Cactusdrop.
"Sorry Tortoiseheart!" Bloompaw chirped after stumbling off the tom.
"We're not late, are we?"